'The 30 Day Shred' explained!

I seem to have lost my exercise mojo lately. I've got bored of the gym and I find it too difficult to drag myself out running enough times per week to really benefit from it, so I've decided to try the 30 Day Shred this month.

The 30 Day Shred is a work out DVD by Jillian Michaels, who you will probably recognise from the TV show The Biggest Loser. She's known for her really tough, intense work outs, the 30 Day Shred being the most popular. The DVD works by using a 3-2-1 (minute) interval system that combines strength, cardio and abs to maximize the amount of calories you burn. Each level is a 20 minute workout with a warm up followed by 3 intervals each of 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs, finishing with a cool down.

The internet is full of positive reviews for this DVD. If you can stick it out for 30 days the results are amazing. I track my calories over at My Fitness Pal and they're always discussing 30 Day Shred on the forums and some of the before/after photos are amazing.

I've just completed day 2 of level 1 and I'm really enjoying the work out so far. Jillian can get a bit annoying at times, but it's an enjoyable work out and the fact that there are modified moves (one easier variation if you're struggling, and another variation if you're more advanced) means that nothing is too difficult. Throughout the strength training interval you can be expected to do some lunges, some bicep curls (they recommend using 5lb hand weights - I don't have those so I've been using good old tins of beans at the moment!) and a few push ups. For cardio you do some jumping jacks, skipping and some really fun punching exercises. And finally, for abs you do a selection of different crunches. I find that the cardio does get you out of breath, but after doing some strength training you're not as tired and feel ready for some more cardio.

If you're thinking of starting the 30 day shred, make sure you take your measurements before hand. Most people say the DVD helps them lose about 10lbs over the course of 30 days, but you need to remember that the DVD is focusing on building muscle and toning so you're likely to put on a few lbs of muscle weight, meaning that you'll probably see a bigger achievement in inches lost rather than weight lost.

I'm feeling really motivated to keep this up (looking at before/after pictures really helps!) and will definitely keep you updated with how I'm getting on. I've taken my measurements and I'm hoping for a flatter tummy by this time next month!

Do you want to get involved and start doing the 30 Day Shred? Both Sarah and I are doing it and there are already a few girls on Twitter taking part, and we're planning to keep everyone motivated on the Where Are My Knees? twitter account. We could post our inches/weight lost (if you feel comfortable doing that) on our weekly summaries and give each other that push we need to keep it up! What do you think, are you in?!

The 30 Day Shred is only £5.49 on Play.com at the moment.